The just-released 2022 Jean Hailes National Women’s Health Survey has revealed that younger women aged 18–25 and 26–45 were more likely to report a deterioration in their physical and mental health. Dr Prerna Varma, a Research Fellow, Psychology, with the Turner Institute for Brain & Mental Health at Monash University told managing multiple roles and trying to be ‘perfect’ can take a toll on women.

Key Points

• 59% of women aged 18–25 said their mental health had got worse since the pandemic began compared to 45% of all women
• 31% of women aged 18–25 said their mental health had stopped them from taking part in everyday activities compared to 21% of all women
• Young women were more likely to have had COVID-19 than women overall, with 39% of 18–24 year-olds reporting a previous infection

Speaking with SBS Hindi, Dr Prerna Varma told mental health should not be ignored and that it does not get better on its own.

Discussing the finding of the just released women Health Survey report, she said, “ There has been a great deal of impact on the mental health of women due to the pandemic”.

Dr Prerna Varma, a Research Fellow within the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University.

For the 7^th National Jean Hailes Women’s Health survey, 14,000 women and gender-diverse people participated between March and May this year.

The report highlights the mental health of younger women has experienced a substantial impact of the pandemic.

Dr Varma explained, “Because there are many life trajectories during adolescence and young adulthood. Girls adjusting well to adversity – in other words, being resilient is what we generally perceive for women, often result in psychological distress”

She told there are some common signs that might indicate if someone is experiencing mental health issues.

It includes an on-going feeling of sadness, concentration issues, issues with sleeping or energy levels, extreme mood swings with highs and lows, and a feeling of wanting to withdraw from social engagements, friends and family.

Women often are under immense pressure and this needs to be acknowledged Source: AAP

Speaking about the role of women, she said women play multiple roles in society ranging from being daughters, sister, mother, homemaker, an employee, or even an employer.

They juggle many roles. There are always high expectations of managing everything. They often are under immense pressure and we need to acknowledge that.

Dr Prerna Varma

She said, “Unfortunately, sometimes we have issues with our mental health. There are cultural nuances but It’s important to recognise these issues so we can seek help when we need it.”

An on-going feeling of sadness might indicate the mental health issue Source: Getty / Getty Images

Dr Prerna Varma advised that the more we talk about mental health the more we create an accepting society. It will make people feel comfortable to open up. It will encourage someone with the confidence to seek out professional support

‘We should recognise the situation and start a conversation about it by taking the stigma out of something that affects us”, added Dr Varma.

Jean Hailes for Women's Health is a national not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the health of all women, girls and gender-diverse people.

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